Railway-rail brace



J6me 1 1924. 1,49%,25

J. G. MUELLER RAILWAY RAIL BRACE Original Filed 001;. 9, 1922' lNl/E NTOR 01m 6. Mud/err 'ATIDRNE ya Patented June 17, 1924.

teases JOHN G. MUELLER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

RAILWAY-RAIL Lennon Original application filed October 9, 1922, Serial No. 595,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Braces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to railway rail braces.

The object of my invention is to provide rail braces which may be. utilized with rails without cross ties or special supports for rails and to form my rail brace of a number of units, each of peculiar construction and all adapted by one common tie rod device to be made to clamp, hold and support the rails, as will be hereinafter more fully GX- plained.

This case is a division of my application filed October 9, 1922, Ser. No. 595,235.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my rail brace complete with two rails in cross section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of one pair of the clamps which form the units of my brace, a portion of a rail being shown clamped;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamp units; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective. view or a modification of one pair of clamps, a portion of the tie rod and of a rail.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a tie rod having screw threads 2 some distance from its ends and screw threads 3 at and near its ends. The threads 2 have nuts a and 7 and the threads 3 have nuts 5 and 6.

Placed on the tie rod is a clamp unit 8 and a similar clamp unit 9 near one end of the tie rod and for holding one rail and placed near the other end of the tie rod is a duplicate set of clamps 8 and 9. Each set or pair of clamps is forced against the rail base, the one pair by the nuts 4 and 6 and the other pair by the nuts 5 and 7 These clamps which enter into the construction of my rail brace also supportvthe rail either by being placed upon a road bed of sufiicient solidity without the use of cross ties or the clamps may be planted upon the ties or the Divided and this application filed July 18,

Serial No. 652,208.

rails may reston the usual rail chairs supported by the usual ties and my clamp units may be positioned between the ties.

Each clamp unit consists of side plates 10, a base plate or portion 11 and hooks 12 projecting from the side plates. By preference each clamp unit is made of one piece of sheet steel struck up and bent into substantially the shape ofthe letter U, as indicated in Fig. 3. The hooks 12 of one unit project in one direction and the similar hooks of the other unit project in the .oppo site direction, so that the hooks face each other, as shown in Fig. 1, and so that one hook acts on the rail base at one side of the web and the other hook on the rail base at the other side of the web, so that when the units are forced toward each other they take a firm and secure hold upon the rail.

WVhile in Fig. 3 I have shown the base portion 11 of a width corresponding to the distance which the plates stand apart, in Fig. 1 Ihave modified this portion of the units and extended the base portion 13 laterally to widen the base and have formed the side plate 10 with an additional lateral portion 14 which unites with the base portion 13. In this way Ihave extended the base of the clamping units to form broad surfaces the more readily to support the rails without the intervention of cross ties and in those cases where the bed is otherwise suitable.

The bases 13 and extensions 14 at the side plates are provided with apertures 15 in which to insert spikes or other fastening means in those cases where fastenings will be used.

Viewing Figs. 2 and 4 it will be observed that both hooks of each clamping unit take hold of the rail base on one side of the web so that a double hold on the rail is afforded.

It will now be observed that my tie rod performs the double office of holding each pair of brace units in proper relation one pair to the other and therefore of holding one rail in the required relation to the other rail, as also that of holding each clamp or unit with relation to the adjacent clamp or unit.

It will further be noted that by reason of each unit being an integral structure, complete in itself, each unit can be cheaply made and is strong and durable, and further that the space between the side plates of each unit affords a passageway for the tie rod without forming apertures in the unit and still further that each unit carries two hooks so that a double grip upon the rail is atforded by each unit or clamp, whereby the whole brace, made up of the several clamping units, is strong and enduring in character and aflords a firm hold upon the rails.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

L In a rail brace, the combination with two pairs of brace units each unit compris ing a base, side plates and a hook, with a space between the side plates, of a tie rod extended through said space and having a nut to engage each unit to cause each pair to clamp a ra1l base.

2, In a rail brace, the combination with two pairs of clamping units, each unit comprising side plates with hooks and a base portion, of a tie rod extending through the several units and having means to urge each unit into clamping position.

8. In a rail brace, the combination with two pairs 01" clamping units, each unit comprising side plates having a hook and a base, the side plates being spaced apart, of a tie rod extending through the space between the side plates of each unit and havmesses ing a pair of nuts for binding the units of each pair, the hooks being adapted to clamp and hold a rail.

4. In a rail brace, the combination with two pairs of clamps each clamp comprising a base and a substantially right angled side plate, one portion thereof joining the base, and the other portion having a hook, of a tie rod adapted to pass through each clamp unit and having means to clamp the two units of each pair to a rail base.

5. In a rail brace, the combination with two pairs of clamps each clamp composed of an extended base and substantially right angled side plates, one portion of each plate connecting with the base and the other portion having a hook, a space being provided between the side plates, of a tie rod extending through said space of each clamp and having a nut threaded thereon to act against each clamp.

6. In a rail brace, a clamping unit struck up of sheet metal to form a base and two side plates, each plate being slotted at point remote from the base, so that when the brace is applied to a rail the base will be substantially as far below the rail as the slots are above the base.

In testimony whereof I tllfiX my signature,

JOHN G, MUELLER, 

